Spade, shovel and spading fork



Dec. 28, 1965 Q. s, MOJQHNSQN 3,226,149

SPADE, SHOVEL AND SPADING FORK Filed April 14, 1964 5 4 22 ]7.1 \K T a aa I l United States Patent 3,226,149 SPADE, SHOVEL AND SPADING FORK OtisS. McJohnson, Pasadena, Tex., assignor of fifty percent to Leonard Hill,Pasadena, Tex. Filed Apr. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 359,651 2 Claims. (Cl.294-50) This invention relates to hand tools, and more particularly toimproved hand tools for digging and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved spade,shovel and spading fork for use in agriculture, gardening, road makingand building construction which will save the owner time and money bybeing easier to handle than the conventional tool and will require lesseffort in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hand.tool which will allow the worker to place his foot in the center of theupper extremity of the working component of the tool where it will beheld safely and securely without slipping off when driving the spade orspading fork into the ground.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved handtool or tools which will have guard means to keep the workman in balancewhile driving the tools into the ground, even when the foot used todrive the tool is wet or muddy.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide animproved hand. tool which will have an adjustable telescoping handle toafford means for changing the length of the handle to suit thedimensions of the user and which will make the workman more comfortable.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved hand toolbearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has aminimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient inoperation and use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a spade comprising the presentinvention with a mud scraper shown in phantom lines;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the mud scraper shown removed fromFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a front view showing a modified form of spade;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of a spading fork;

FIGURE 6 is a front view of a modified form of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a front view showing a modified form of the invention in theconfiguration of a shovel;

FIGURE 8 is a front view of a modified form of FIG- URE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view showing a modified form of shovel;

FIGURE 10 is a plan view showing a modified form of spade blade;

FIGURE 11 is a front view of a foot rest member providing mounting meansfor a handle and blade of the invention; and

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view showing a modified form of scoop shovelwith the handle shown removed.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a tool 10 made inaccordance with the present invention is shown to include a spade shapedblade 12 which is fixedly secured to a V-shaped member 14 which isprovided with a foot rest 16 to allow easy driving of the spadeshapedblade 12 into the ground. A hollow, elongated sleeve 18 is securedwithin the upper extremity of V-shaped mem- 3,226,149 Patented Dec. 28,1965 ber 14 at one end and telescopically receives elongated sleeve 20which is securely held in position by means of a pair of screws 22 whichare received within any pair of a plurality of openings 24 transverselythrough sleeve 20. A pivotable handle grip 26 is pivotably receivedbetween V-shaped end 28 of sleeve 20 to provide handle grip means forthe worker to grip and control tool 10. A hollow pocket member 30 issecured to sleeve 18 and provides a means for freely receiving a scraper32 of rectangular configuration having a handle 34. Scraper 32 providesmeans for removing mud.

It shall be understood that spade blade 12 may be riveted or welded toV-shaped member 14.

In FIGURE 4, a modified form of hand tool 10 is shown to include anarrow-shaped spade blade 12 secured to a semi-circular member 14. A footrest 16' on the upper extremity of spade blade 12' provides foot restmeans for driving spade blade 12' into the ground and member 14 preventsthe shoe from sliding. A sleeve 18' is secured to member 14' and thesleeve 20 is telescopically received within sleeve 18. A spaced apartpair of screws 22' provide adjustment means for telescoping sleeves 18and 20 and are received within openings 24'. A pivotable handle grip 26is pivotably received by semicircular hand guard 28 to provide means forgripping tool 10'.

In FIGURE 5, a modified form of hand tool 36 is shown to include aspading fork member 38 having a plurality of spaced apart taperedfingers 40. A hollow, rectangular member 42 is provided with an internalfoot rest 44 and either side of the upper extremity of member 42provides a pair of external foot rests for urging fingers 40 into thesoil. A pair of projections 46 extending from member 42 provide meansfor preventing the workers foot from slipping off member 42 when urgingfingers 40 of spading fork 38 into the soil, and the hollow sleeve 48 isfixedly secured to member 42 and telescopically receives a hollow sleeve50. A pair of spaced pair screws 52 provide adjustment means for thelength of the handle formed by sleeves 48 and 50 and are received withinspaced apart openings 54 of sleeve 50. A semi-circular guard 56 issecured to the end. of sleeve 50 and pivotably receives a handle grip58.

In FIGURE 6, a modified form of tool 36' is provided with a spading fork38 having a plurality of fingers 40' for working in the soil. A hollow,rectangular member 42 provided with an internal foot rest 44' allowsfoot pressure to be applied the central axis of tool 36. A hollow sleeve48' receives hollow sleeve 50' and adjustment means for the length ofthe handle formed by sleeves 48' and 50' provided for by screws 52'. Ahandle guard of rectangular configuration 56 is fixedly secured to oneend of sleeve 50' and receives a pivotable handle grip 58'.

In FIGURE 7, a modified form of handle tool 60 is shown to include ashovel member 62 having spaced apart projections 64 along its upperextremity prevent the workmans foot from slipping when urging downwardlyagainst shovel 62, and a sleeve 66 is fixedly secured to the upperextremity of shovel 62 and a hollow sleeve 68 is telescopically receivedwithin sleeve 66. A pair of spaced part screws 70 provide adjustmentmeans for sleeves 66 and 68 by being received within any of a pluralityof openings 72 of sleeve 68. A V-shaped handle guard 74 is fixedlysecured to one end of sleeve 68 and is provided with a pivotable handlegrip 76.

In FIGURE 10, a modified form of spade blade 78 is shown to have aplurality of spaced apart openings 80 which provide a means for securingit to a handle memher (not shown). Spade blade 78 is provided with aplurality of teeth 82 which allows it to be used to cut stubborn rootswhile spading and providing a tool for efficient job around trees ingardens and spade blade 78 is made of stainless steel or other suitablematerial to prevent the teeth 82 from deteriorating from rust.

A modified form of shovel 84 is shown to have a spearshaped concaveshovel member 86 and a foot rest 88 internal of an arched member 90which is fixedly secured to a handle 92.

In FIGURE 9 a modified form of hand tool 94 is shown to include a footguard 96 and a scoop-type blade 98 and a telescoping handle 99 which isadjustable by means of screws 100.

In FIGURE 11 a rectangular member 102 is provided with a plurality ofspaced apart openings 104 which allow member 102 to be secured to aspade, spading fork or a shovel blade, and the Workmans foot is receivedwithin member 102 or is received along its upper extremity betweenprojections 106 and an extension 108 which provides a means forreceiving the handle.

In FIGURE 12, ashovel 110 is provided with a pair of parallel sides 112and an arcuate hollow member 114 which provides guard means for the footwhich is received upon foot rest 116 which is the upper extremity ofshovel 110, and an extension 118 projecting centrally from memher 114provides a means for securing shovel 110 to a handle.

It shall be noted that one or many of the features heretofore describedmay be used in any combination for hand tools such as shovels, spades,and spade forks.

It shall further be noted that when pressure is applied by a workmanwith his foot upon the central area of the footrest, less eifort will beexerted and far less discomfort will result to the workmans foot whenapplying foot pressure upon the tool heretofore described.

It shall also be recognized that the telescoping handles may be made ofvarious materials havingv sufficient strength for the task and theshovel blades may be coated with vinyl or any other polymeric compoundfor handling acids or other harmful material.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A hand tool comprising in combination a spade member and a handletherefor, a central footrest carried by said spade member adapted for aworkmans foot to apply pressure along a central axis of the tool a footguard member carried by said spade member for encompassing the workmansfoot to prevent it from slipping, a pair of telescoping sleeves carriedby said tool for adjusting the length of said handle, a mud scraper ofgenerally rectangular configuration carried by one of said sleevesadapted for removing mud from the workmans shoes or from a blade portionof said tool, said spade member being secured to said footrest, saidfootrest encompassing said foot guard member above said footrest toprevent the workmans shoe from slipping from said footrest, saidfootrest being internal of said foot guard member to allow pressure tobe direct when urging said spade member into soil, said foot guardmember having a hollow extension, said extension receiving a hollow endof a first sleeve which telescopically receives a second smallerdiameter sleeve to provide handle means for said tool, rectangularpocket means secured to said sleeve on said first sleeve, said pocketmeans receiving said scraper which is provided with a handle for ease inmanipulation thereof, a pair of mounted and spaced apart screws receivedwithin said first sleeve for adjusting the length of the handle and ofsaid telescoping sleeves,a plurality of openings within said secondsleeve threadedly receiving said screws, and an open extension securedto said second sleeve with a pivotable handle grip for the workman tograsp when using said tool.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said spade has a blade of a concavetapered contour having a plurality of teeth for cutting roots in thesoil when said blade is urged downwardly within said soil.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 475,208 5/1892Edwards 29459 821,847 5/1906 Arnavat 294-49 X 951,329 3/1910 OConnor29455.5 3,078,604 2/1963 Neuman 294-59 X FOREIGN PATENTS.

637,932 3/1962 Canada. 810,800 3/ 1959 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner.

1. A HAND TOOL COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A SPADE MEMBER AND A HANDLETHEREFOR, A CENTRAL FOOTREST CARRIED BY SAID SPADE MEMBER ADAPTED FOR AWORKMAN''S FOOT TO APPLY PRESSURE ALONG A CENTRAL AXIS OF THE TOOL, AFOOT GUARD MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID SPADE MEMBER FOR ENCOMPASSING THEWORKMAN''S FOOT TO PREVENT IT FROM SLIPPING, A PAIR OF TELESCOPINGSLEEVES CARRIED BY SAID TOOL FOR ADJUSTING THE LENGTH OF SAID HANDLE, AMUD SCRAPER OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONFIGURAITON CARRIED BY ONE OFSAID SLEEVES ADAPTED FOR REMOVING MUD FROM THE WORKMAN''S SHOES OR FROMA BLADE PORTION OF SAID TOOL, SAID SPADE MEMBER BEING SECURED TO SAIDFOOTREST, SAID FOOTREST ENCOMPASSING SAID FOOT GUARD MEMBER ABOVE SAIDFOOTREST TO PREVENT THE WORKMAN''S SHOE FROM SLIPPING FROM SAIDFOOTREST, SAID FOOTREST BEING INTERNAL OF SAID FOOT GUARD MEMBER TOALLOW PRESSURE TO BE DIRECT WHEN URGING SAID SPADE MEMBER INTO SOIL,SAID FOOT GUARD MEMBER HAVING A HOLLOW EXTENSION, SAID EXTENSIONRECEIVING A HOLLOW END OF A FIRST SLEEVE WHICH TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVES ASECOND SMALLER DIAMETER SLEEVE TO PROVIDE HANDLE MEANS FOR SAID TOOL,RECTANGULAR POCKET MEANS SECURED TO SAID SLEEVE ON SAID FIRST SLEEVE,SAID POCKET MEANS RECEIVING SAID SCRAPER WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A HANDLEFOR EASE IN MANIPULATION THEREOF, A PAIR OF MOUNTED AND SPACED APARTSCREWS RECEIVED WITHIN SAID FIRST SLEEVE FOR ADJUTING THE LENGTH OF THEHANDLE AND OF SAID TELESCOPING SLEEVES, A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS WITHINSAID SECOND SLEEVE THREADEDLY RECEIVING SAID SCREWS, AND AN OPENEXTENSION SECURED TO SAID SECOND SLEEVE WITH A PIVOTABLE HANDLE GRIP FORTHE WORKMAN TO GRASP WHEN USING SAID TOOL.